Early Opera Company series at Spitalfields Summer Festival

The Early Opera Company (EOC) and conductor Christian Curnyn are to host a series of concerts as associate artists at the 2013 Spitalfields Summer Festival. EOC will open their series on 9 June, performing Bach’s Coffee Cantatas. The seventeenth century saw the arrival of both J. S. Bach and coffee to Germany, with this performance paying homage to both.

The EOC festival series will also include a performance of Handel’s Susanna at Christ Church; a collaboration with choreographer Tony Adigun and Avant Garde Dance, combing the music of Monteverdi (Il combatimmento di Trancredi e Clorinda) and contemporary dance; and another performance of Monteverdi’s work, this time for 0 to 2 year olds, following in the footsteps of Spitalfield’s 2012 performance of Purcell’s The Fairy Queen for younger years.

Spitalfield’s early music offerings will continue with The Sixteen, as they make a return to the festival on 11 June with a concert entitled ‘The Earth Resounds’. The programme will include music from Josquin, Brumel and Lassus – composers of the Renaissance Franco-Flemish school.

The Cardinall’s Musick appear on 13 June with a performance of sixteenth-century Spanish music from Tomas Luis de Victoria and his contemporaries. Prior to the concert there will be a talk with director Andrew Carwood.

Other early music highlights include: Arte de Suonatori’s programme of Handel’s love stories; The Orlando Consort will present a programme of music from 1250 to 1550 entitled ‘Food, Wine & Song’, accompanied with a three-course meal; and ensemble La Morra make their Spitalfields debut with music from late-medieval composer Johannes Ciconia.